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Christine

People across the country are finalizing their holiday plans—and for many families, a road trip is on the agenda. While most of us don’t have any National Lampoon’s Vacation hijinks in store, an extended car ride can come with a fair share of stress. But contrary to what many might think, it’s not the relentless chorus of “Are we there yet?” that stresses a family caravan the most. According to a study from automobile manufacturer Chevrolet, traffic and unforeseen delays top the list of stressors on a family trip, followed by packing and cost. The study also found that moms are more likely than dads to stress about keeping the kids entertained—probably because fathers are keeping busy behind the wheel (about 75% say they do most of the driving). What would make road trips better? In-car Wi-Fi is a wish for 56% of parents. Even though there’s plenty to worry about, most parents look back fondly on road trips with 86% of parents who took road trips when they were growing up saying they have “a lot of fond memories” of the car rides.